U.S. Traveler In-Destination Mobile Usage Survey 2018

Mobile has become a key component of the in-destination experience for U.S. travelers today. From finding things to do, to spontaneous bookings, mobile apps and websites have a role to play at each part of the in-destination journey. Travel brands that can find a meaningful place in this mobile journey have a lot to gain.

Report Overview

Our U.S. Traveler In-Destination Mobile Behavior 2018 survey provides valuable insight into how mobile fits into the in-destination journey for U.S. leisure travelers. Today, mobile has a role to play throughout the in-destination journey, and the majority of U.S. travelers are taking advantage of the assistance and services mobile devices can offer. The very personal nature of mobile that makes it so popular with travelers, however, presents a challenge for travel brands to figure out how best to embed themselves into the in-destination journey.

In this report, we map out the in-destination journey in 15 parts to delve more closely into how travelers are using mobile at each step. We look specifically at mobile usage for different parts of the journey, what specific tasks travelers use mobile for, and which apps travelers use. We then present results by two key demographic parameters: age and household income. While mobile usage overall is nearly ubiquitous, there are clear gaps in mobile use between different parts of the in-destination journey and key players within each part. For those who are behind, it’s urgent to play catch-up.

Survey Methodology

Skift Research’s U.S. Traveler In-Destination Mobile Behavior Survey 2018 collected responses from 1,671 respondents who live in the U.S. To qualify for the survey, respondents needed to have taken at least one leisure trip in the past 12 months that included at least one-night’s paid stay and was 50 miles or more from home. They also had to use their mobile phone for purposes other than voice calling and text messaging while traveling for leisure, such as using mobile apps or browsing mobile websites. The respondent group also met quotas of gender, age, region, and combined household income based on the sample of U.S. travelers represented in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2016 Consumer Expenditure Survey. The survey was fielded by a trusted third-party consumer panel provider.

What You'll Learn From This Report

How U.S. travelers use mobile throughout the in-destination journey, from air travel, to accommodations, tours and activities, and more

What tasks travelers use mobile to accomplish for different parts of their trips

The specific apps travelers use at each part of the in-destination journey

How mobile app use compares to mobile website use

Major apps used at each stage of the in-destination journey

Key differences in mobile use in-destination based on age

Key differences in mobile use in-destination based on household income